Multiple presidents, only one palace

From European Voice's Entre-Nous column

4/9/08, 9:01 AM CET

Updated 1/26/16, 4:32 PM CET

Forget the cabinet size, who's got the palace?

The attractions of the post of full-time president of the European Council are growing. Plans under discussion in the Council of Ministers foresee that the new president of Europe will get a 16-member cabinet or private office, more than Commission President José Manuel Barroso, who has 13, and Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering, who has 15. Unlike any previous EU official in Brussels, the package may include an official residence rather than the customary housing allowance. The prospect of a presidential palace will bring a new element to the debate over filling the post. Does it imply that the job will consist largely of entertainment – or will it be so draining during the day that survival will depend on comfort at night?